Fighting for Entertainment: Gladiators to Mixed Martial Arts

Ever since history has been recorded, there has been evidence and stories of battles between warriors and skilled combatants. These battles were not only fought for land or protection, but also for sport or recreation. But why are humans so intrigued by combative sports?

People have seem to be fascinated by the fast paced movements and skills of combatants, and have always seen this as a highly valued source of entertainment. Its almost as if humans are hardwired to rival and contend with one another. Our primal instincts not only give us the drive to compete, but also the ability admire and observe the skills of others.

Combat sports have provided exciting, yet sometimes brutal enjoyment to cultures around the globe. The warriors who participated in these events could do so for a number of reasons. Many were forced into combat, much like the gladiators of the Colosseum. Some warriors fought (and still fight today) for factors such as pride, sport, money and/or fame. Examples are medieval knights jousting for a festival, or a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter competing at a local venue.

One of the earliest and most well known forms of combat entertainment is the gladiator games of ancient Rome, which began around 1^st century B.C. These events provided opportunities for politicians to self promote, as well as provide cheap and exciting entertainment to clients and the general public. These ancient games were barbarous, forcing slaves and willing volunteers to fight other combatants as well as fierce animals. Many times weapons would be used, resulting in a extremely high death rate.

Over time, combat sports have become much safer with the introduction of rules and regulations to help protect the fighters from serious injury. Regulations include things such as time limits, referees, protective gear and weight classes.

Although modern combat sports (such as mixed martial arts) appear to be highly risky and dangerous for the combatants, the introduction of regulations has actually made it one of the safest sports to compete in.

In 2001, MMA was sanctioned in the New Jersey and Nevada under the Unified Rules. By 2012, 46 states had regulated the sport. There is little statistical information on the death rate of MMA due to its recent regulation and few fatalities, but a study performed in 2006 showed that the the risk of injury is comparable to that of boxing.

Under sanctioned matches, the combatants are usually matched together by factors such as weight and skill level. The fighters train extremely hard and vigorously for the competitions. This dedication to training and putting the body in compromising situations during practice provides the fighter with knowledge and experience to compete in matches with reduced risk of injury.

Humans are naturally driven to compete and test our skills in whichever discipline we have studied. This drive for competition enables us to continue improving, correct mistakes, and overtime become more masterful of our craft. When skilled people compete, there will also always be spectators waiting to be entertained by the talent displayed.

Author: Jason Gandy

Published: June 25, 2013

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